The British people are good sports, which is excellent – they might curse you using some colorful language if you share your stereotypical thoughts about their culture, but you’ll also like it.
At least, that’s what I’m getting from these replies to the question “what do you think of the British people,” and also the responses to those responses from actual Brits.
Please enjoy.
1. That about sums it up.
My British buddy told me he lost 50 pounds.
He was upset when I congratulated him.
2. They know how to queue.
Lived there as a kid, so hearing an English (especially Yorkshire) accent where I live now is always nostalgic.
Just as arrogant as most western Europeans but also more self-deprecating so it’s not as annoying. One of the few cultures that can reliably form a proper line.
3. Nothing to hide.
My experience Is kind of limited, but I’ve been to the U.K. several times and have plenty of British colleagues.
For some reason I seem to get along better with the working class Brits that I’ve met. They seem to be decent straightforward people. If they’re wankers, you can kind of tell right away.
The further you move up in class, the stranger the behavior seems to get, and the more difficult the people are to read. That surface politeness can hide anything from a very decent if somewhat stiff person to a complete f**king psychopath.
4. Pardon me.
I went to the UK with some friends from the US back in high school. We were in line somewhere when this little English girl asked my friend “pardon me but are you in Queue?”
He was like “what?”
She repeated herself.
He stares at her for like 30 seconds, and then he turned to us and was like “who the fuck is N.Q.?”
We just died laughing, and the poor little girl just got in front of us. He was so absolutely clueless, but she was charming. He’d just never heard it called a queue before. When we explained it later he thought we were making up words to mess with him (which we often did).
“Q-U-E-U-E? that’s not a fucking word!”
5. A good sense of humor.
I’m in the U.S. and work with our British (and Ireland) office daily. We tease each other over our stereotypes a lot and it’s all in good fun. I believe it was 2010 when England played the U.S. during the World Cup series. I bought a bunch of U.S. jerseys and shipped them to their office without telling them for some inter-office trash talking.
In return, they shipped me a huge box that contained an England Jersey, A beach towel with their emblem on it, a bunch of biscuits and tea, salt and pepper shakers in the shape of phone boxes, and a toy double decker bus without telling me.
All and all, I love those guys and gals over there. A fun bunch of peeps.
6. They’re actually funny.
I like British humor a lot. You guys drink hard – very hard. I haven’t known any British people as an adult but the ones I’ve met have varied from fine to great people.
7. They love to talk about it.
They always complain about the weather, no matter what it is like outside – you’ll hear most of them complain.
8. Even the men have emotions.
When I watch the Great British Bake-off and see grown men hold back tears when Paul gives them the handshake, I think I need to move there.
Holy cow thanks for the awards! I want to move to northern Wales some day.
9. That’s true.
All I know you don’t want to become between English or Scottish person and his/her drunken night kebab…
10. The cursing is fun.
Well only lived in England for sometime, so my opinion is based mostly on English people and obviously not all are same. But based on what I’ve experienced they are just absolutely great.
I love their humour and the way they are just what they are, not pretending and saying what ever they like and cursing, but also being polite and warm.
It is hard to explain but I felt right at home over there, would move back anytime. oi oi savaloy!
11. Which is a double-edged coin.
Those bastards can drink.
We drink because we’re unhappy haha.
12. It weighs heavy.
2000 calories of drink followed by a 2000 calorie kebab in a matter of hours.
Can’t forget about the hungover Sunday takeaway either!
I’m Irish but I feel like our drinking culture and diets are very similar from my time spent in the UK.
13. There’s no middle ground.
Studying at UK university – They really seem to exist on polar ends of the spectrum – they’re either really really lovely or absolute d*%kheads.
And there’s an obvious class divide. I’m from Canada and mingle among all classes. That doesn’t happen in u.k
14. A happy mess of a time.
Got off the train into London from Edinburgh around the time everyone was getting off of work. It was mid-week and I just sauntered around watching the swarm of people in work clothes going immediately to the pubs or take-away shops to grab some drinks.
Decided to join in and grabbed a sandwich and two beers, then proceeded to a park where I watched two women in work clothes down a bottle of wine — the last sips of which were poured sloppily and jovially as they laughed when one spilled a little on her purse before they got up and went on their way. It was quite a lovely and specific afternoon.
The evenings though! Everyone wanders the streets already drunk it seems, no pub in particular is too crowded and the entire place is just a somewhat rowdy (at least in the eyes of this American woman) happy mess of a time.
It was really interesting to see.
15. A colorful folk.
I like when they say “Twat” or “Blimey” unironically.
And Bollocks. That’s up there with “todger”
16. Lots of people complain.
I like British culture, it is interesting. though I think virtually every culture is.
I have seen a lot if anti UK comments here referencing their colonial history and I want to push back on this a bit.
Virtually every country throughout history (worldwide) was imperialistic and committed atrocities, up until modern times. The idea that the UK was unique in anything they did is just being historical illiterate.
The world we know today with all its freedoms and advancements and its progress towards equality for all people is really a result of british and other European societies almost entirely.
It is good to recognize the past injustices of these lands and attempt to fix them where we can. But demonizing these countries as net negatives in the world is super idiotic, in my view.
It you remove the uk and other western European countries from history it is exceptionally likely that we would all still be living in a world where virtually every plot of land is ruled over by some sort of king or emperor and where, like throughout most of history, 99% of people lived as powerless poor people that died in the droves due to hunger, poverty, war, sickness etc.
Lots of people complain about the injustice in the modern world and there is a lot of political and social divide currently. However relative to history, virtually everyone alive now is privileged beyond belief.
Really, I think most people don’t realize just how terrible most of our lives would still be had it not been for the European empires and the social and technological advancements that came out of them.
Life before modern times for the common person in history was, relative to today, exceptionally terrible and hard, unless you were rich or royalty, but even then it was still pretty crap.
17. A surprise delight.
They were nothing like what I was inclined to think from reading the internet.
They are highly politically diverse.
Their humor isn’t just dry.
Their food isn’t just brand.
I found them funny, and warm, and interesting and interested.
I could spend a night in a pub learning Cricket and teaching American football.
I could walk around on the 4th of July with an American Flag t-shirt and laugh over lunch about how the war of 1812 wasn’t a separate war but a continuation of the revolution and they didn’t lose but burned down the capitol and left.
I sit on the tube and have one of them help me collect the list of slang terms I’d learned (my GOD they have a lot of slang).
The hilarity of sitting around with people from Wales, Scotland, Ireland and a proper Englishmen is amazing. That cultural orb of the UK is fascinating.
Back when cabbies were a thing listening to a cabbie talk was an amazing experience.
They’re brutally honest too and they curse a lot. Good people all around. 8/10 would recommend.
18. A self tell.
As a British person, I can confidently say some of us are d*%ks, some of us are alright, and the government are massive s*%ts.
19. They love Canadians.
I was in London a few years back. They’d ask if I was American. When I said Canadian they’d give me a big smile and treat me like extended family. It was awesome. I don’t think I had a bad interaction with anyone my entire time there.
A+ 10 out of 10. Would London again.
20. Was that a compliment?
Living here since I was 9 years old and now I’m 24, you are some of the loveliest cunts around.
You’re best of the worst and the worst of the best ❤️.
21. They can really pee.
Good people.
They can take the piss with the best of them, love to drink, have no time for bullshit and will call people out on it.
A dry sense of humor is my preferred humor.
Source: Canadian
22. A great sense of humor.
Frenchy living in the UK for quite some time myself and can say that, as hard as it is for a Frenchman to admit, the British have the best sense of humour I’ve ever encountered.
23. Good traveling companions.
I know Germans and Brits are supposed to hate each other’s guts but as a German, I love the British. Met a guy named Jim in India twenty years ago; he called me a German c**t, I called him an english bastard.
We travelled together for over a month and it was one of the best things I did in my life.
Jim Wiley if you’re reading this, I’d sure love to have a pint with you again, you bloody english bastard.
24. They mind their business.
Lived in London for a year
They’re particularly reserved, they relatively mind their own business, and really don’t wanna involve themselves in your business unless they absolutely have to
Overall, they’re good people, and they know how to have a good time but also be cordial and have good values
I’ll always have love for the British.
25. I’m off to Google.
That they have a serious time travel and alien problem.
Only if you’re in Cardiff and London.
26. More good than bad.
Great musicians, great comedians, sh**ty politicians.
Overall more positive than negative.
27. Lovely and sociable.
I had a good time living there. The people I worked with are lovely, very sociable.
Their government is dysfunctional af though, and I’m completely baffled by whatever the fuck brexit was supposed to be.
28. Good people.
As a Canadian who grew up in the North East of England I have never met a kinder ‘give ones shirt off their back’ group of people. You can see someone everyday for years, never know their name, what they do, but I feel closer to them than I do co-workers now. An exemplary group of people that I see as my people.
Also the drinking, I learnt how to drink there and now I cannot afford to have a night out in Canada. The British liver is just built differently.
29. You folks are ok.
This American loves our British cousins. The understated humor, the great music and bands, the stiff upper lip, the common sense, the work ethic, and a proclivity for telling Nazis to fuck off.
What I really love is British pub culture. It’s so warming. People having tall pints and playing chess or checkers, engaging in great conversation, and the pies. Man. You all do very exciting things with pies.
I was in a pub near Whitby a few years back. Cold rain outside but there was a warm fire crackling, Boddington’s on tap, and the lighting was this earthy dark glow. Felt so cozy and wonderful.
Anyway. You folks are ok.
30. A good flag.
They got a pretty iconic flag.
I believe that, if the Union Jack didn’t have such a great design, Australia and New Zealand would have changed their flags long ago.
31. If you like cold weather…
I love them! Their accents, I’m envious of their cold weather, their historic buildings and castles – accents! One place I’d love to visit.
I’m Australian, I reckon they’re just a posher version of us. Haha.
I have to say, some of these have been my experiences, too, but not all.
It’s almost like you can’t stereotype a whole culture based on the people you’ve met! Huh!
